Family
by Julie112
Summary: John's world is turned upside down when a paitent is brought into the ER. Forcing him to remember the past and come back into contact with his parents, Carter is forced to make a decion, and finally accept the Carter life.
1. Chapter 1

It was the usual cold, snowy Chicago morning, in the midst of January, as a Jenna quickly walked down the icy streets. She could see County General ahead, but was still wondering around trying to find the entrance to the ER. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders, waving in the wind, as she pulled her side bag closer to her, checking once again that the letter was still inside.

Meanwhile, Dr. John Carter and a co-worker Dr. Weaver were outside at the coffee stand.  
"John, are you sure you can pull the double today? Pratt called in again with some excuse why he can't come in" Kerry grumbled.  
"Yeah, sure Kerry no problem" John replied as he paid the coffee vender, "So Pratt called in again not being able to work? This is the third time this week, what is up with him?"  
Kerry rolled her eyes, "who knows, if he keeps it up, he's fired. I can't afford to be short staffed anymore."  
"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find the entrance to the ER?" Jenna asked, as she approached John and Kerry.  
"Yeah, if you just keep walking strait, and walk down those steps, you can't miss it." Kerry replied  
"Thanks" Jenna replied as she started walking, but nearly toppled over.  
"Whoa, you alright there?" John asked, catching Jenna before she fell.  
"Yeah, fine, just been, well really dizzy lately, have had this fever forever. I'm alright though, thanks."  
"Are you sure? Want us to walk you to the ER? We…" John started but was quickly cut off.  
"No, thanks, but I'm fine, just a dizzy spell, I'm sure once I'm inside and sitting down I'll be fine." Jenna said.  
"Alright, but when you talk to admit. Tell them Dr. Weaver, saw you outside, and told them to get you to see a doctor ASAP." Kerry said.  
Jenna nodded as she walked off, John watching her closely as she started down the stairs. Jenna stopped for a moment, another dizzy spell came, she tried to keep her balance but could feel her body begin collapse, falling down the icy stairs.  
"Shit, Kerry, that girl just collapsed" John yelled, dropping his coffee and running towards Jenna.

"Watch out" John yelled, running to the small crowed that had already formed around Jenna, and kneeling down beside her unconscious body. Quickly checking her pulse, as Kerry came running beside him.  
"Should someone get a doctor?" Someone from the crowd asked.  
"No, its fine, we're doctors" Kerry shouted, "Get back".  
"Miss, miss, can you hear me? I'm Doctor Weaver I'm going to take care of you alright?" Kerry exclaimed brushing hair out of her face and gently feeling her forehead. "She's burning up."  
"Heart rate is racing, Kerry, we need to get her inside" He exclaimed scooping her up in his arms, as he swiftly walked towards the ER. "Get her bag Kerry" he yelled back. Kerry grabbed up her bag, and ran towards them.

"We need a gurney over here" Kerry yelled running in opening the security doors.  
"Who's the kid" Sam asked as she and Abby came up to Carter and Kerry with a gurney.  
"Don't know, she was outside, nearly collapsed when she was asking us directions to the ER then she fainted and fell down the stairs outside of the entrance." Carter exclaimed  
"Kovach, what's open?" Kerry yelled throwing her coat to him.  
"Exam room three" He replied.  
"Alright lets get a CBC, Chem. 7 and get a saline drip going" Carter yelled.  
"Temp's 108." Sam exclaimed "I've never seen anyone with a temp that high!"  
"And you won't see her very long if we don't get her temp down" Kerry mumbled.  
Jenna groggily started coming to, she could see the blurry commotion above her, but couldn't make out what was going on. She could hear someone, yell something about her hear rate and another yelling back to them. She jerked up, pulling her hand away as she felt a large stab.  
"Hey, it's alright, we're just going to put an IV in, to help get your fever down." Sam said, smiling "Carter she's coming to.  
Carter leaned over slightly "I'm Dr. Carter, I was talking to you outside. Can you tell me you're name?"  
"Jenna" She replied softly "What's going….going on? Am I in the hospital? I don't remember walking in."  
"You collapsed outside on the stairs, Dr. Weaver and I brought you in." John explained. "How long have you been sick?"  
"I, I don't know. I've …." Jenna trailed off.  
"Hey, Jenna, you've got to try to stay awake for us Hun" Kerry, said "Abby, get a blood culture."  
"My head….I feel really dizzy." Jenna exclaimed, trying to make sense of what was going on around her.  
"Yeah, you have a high fever and hit your head pretty hard when you fell, is there any family we can call?" Kerry asked.  
"My bag…." Jenna trialed off again.

Sam waked to her bag, opening it up shuffling throw papers, and skimming them to see if there was any kind of number for a family member. "Hey, Kerry? I though it was hospital policy, that family members aren't allowed to work on each other." Sam exclaimed  
"They're not, why?" Kerry asked, slightly annoyed  
"Well according to this, she Carter's sister!" Sam replied, holding up a piece of paper.


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" Kerry and John asked together, as they walked to Sam.  
John grabbed the letter from Sam reading it

_"Dear, Jenna, I know you've been waiting for this for months, but I have finally found your brother. His name is John Carter and he is a Doctor at County General in Chicago. I will contact you later on this week and help you with arrangements to get down there and a place to stay. If you need anything else please call me, my cell is 555-7789"_

_Sincerely Harold._

"What the hell is this?" John asked "Is this some sort of joke?"  
"I don't know, but you know policy Carter" Kerry explained. "Go send Kovach in, we'll do a DNA test, until we find out if she's you sister or not, until then you are off the case.  
"Policy? Kerry, I don't have….. a sister." John trialed off  
"What is it John?" Sam asked.  
"No way, the only sister I had…..I was told she died at birth. It's impossible" John exclaimed.  
"Stats are dropping….she's seizing!." Abby yelled as an alarm went off.  
John started to go towards Jenna but was stopped by Kerry. "John, until we figure out who she is, you are off the case. Get Kovach." She yelled running to help Jenna.  
John angrily stormed out of the room. "Luka, you need to get in there, I explain later." John yelled as he went into the Doctors lounge. John stood there for a moment, reading over the letter again. "This can't be right" he mumbled.

It was a couple hours later, Carter sill sitting in the Doctors Lounge looking over a chart.  
"John? She's stabilized and she's resting for now, but still hasn't come to since her seizure. We still don't know what is exactly wrong. Test results are back, they're all skyrocketing. We're waiting for a surgical consult to rule out appendicitis, and I'm going to try to rule out meningitis too. Are you alright?" Kerry asked. "We can do a DNA test, find out who she is…."  
"She's my sister." John whispered. "I called my parents, to find out what was going on. When I was seventeen, my brother died of cancer, right after that my mother gave birth to Jenna, she was three weeks early. My mom couldn't deal with having another kid, she felt like Jenna would replace my brother. So my parents put her up for adoption." John explained.  
"That's terrible." Kerry exclaimed.  
"That's only the beginning. I phoned Harold, the guy who wrote her the letter. He gave me information on where to find past charts on medical history and filled me in a little bit of life history. I had the charts faxed over too. Since birth she's been in foster homes. 6 foster homes, until she was 13, now she's living in a group home. Since she was 14 she's been looking for her real family. Harold was a private investigator, who worked undercover at the group home, helping the kids there find their families. When she was 15 she found out the truth about her real family." Carter trailed off.  
"And?" Kerry asked.  
Carter pushed another piece of paper, and old chart from some other hospital. "That is from the same day she found out who her family was, and why she was put into adoption.  
"Patient brought it, unconscious" Kerry read "Attempted suicide? This poor girl."  
John nodded. "I can't believe my parents. The Carter family is the wealthiest in Chicago. We have more than enough money for twenty kids. Yet they throw her away like a piece of trash? No one knew about her, not even Gram."  
"Carter…..I know this is hard on you."  
"Yeah, hard on me? What about my sister? I can't imagine what it felt like when she found out the truth about my….our family."  
"John, why don't we get a family councilor down here, when Jenna wakes up and is in more stable condition , you can talk to her, explain things." Kerry said softly.  
"I don't need one Kerry, I already know what I'm going to do. When I talk to her I'll ask her to come live with me. I have more than enough money from what Gram left meI have access to the Carter Family funds. I'm going to give her what she deserves."  
"John don't you think you're being a little irrational? You barley know her."  
"Kerry, what would you do if you were in my position?"  
Kerry sighed, "I'd do the same thing. Just be careful, and try to find this group home, you'll probably need social services too, if your sister agrees to come live with you, then there will be papers to sign."  
John nodded "I'm going to go check on her."  
"Yeah, go ahead, take time off, if it does get busy I'll page you or get someone else to pull a double. I still need you for Pratt's shift tonight." Kerry replied softly.  
"Thanks Kerry" John replied walking out of the lounge.  
John walked into the exam room, just as surgeon Dr. Romano walked in. "Carter, this is the consult?"  
"Yeah, this is Jenna, ruling out appendicitis" John replied  
"Oh, so this is the one who is, supposedly your long lost sister?" Romano asked, as he examined Jenna  
"Yeah, she's my sister. Little hard term to grasp, but…." John trialed off.  
"Here's the portable ultrasound you wanted, Dr. Romano" Sam announced as she entered the room.  
"Well thank you, I asked for that ten minutes ago, but its only a patients' well being nothing to rush for." Romano exclaimed in his usual sarcastic tone.  
Sam glared at him, as she went to Jenna. "Temp's. 104, well it's going down at least." She mumbled.  
"She's not out of the woods yet" Dr. Romano exclaimed. "Appendix is inflated" he said, pointing the picture on the screen.  
"Is that what's causing the fever?" Sam asked, checking Jenna's pulse.  
"Could be part of the reason, don't think it could have caused it to be that high." Dr. Romano mumbled as he scribbled something on her chart. "Has Kerry or Kovach ruled out meningitis?"  
"Not yet, she's going to wait to see how her stats are, she was severely dehydrated and malnourished when she was brought in., also could have caused her fever." Sam exclaimed, leaving the room.  
"Right, page me after she's tested for meningitis, I could probably schedule her for later tonight or tomorrow." Romano exclaimed. "Has anyone found past charts?"  
"Yeah, I had them faxed over; Kerry is looking them over in the Lounge."  
Romano nodded, "Must be hard, finding out you have a sister you never knew about. Good luck with whatever you decide to do"  
John nodded, looking at Romano awkwardly; it was very rare he ever showed his soft side.  
"Oh and Carter, don't be telling everyone I have a soft side, I have a reputation to uphold". Romano said leaving.  
John smiled, as he sat down beside Jenna's bed, resting his head against the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a few hours later, when Jenna finally started coming to. Jenna looked around bringing her hand up to a large bandage, covering a gash above her eye.  
"What?" she mumbled, looking at her surroundings, finally realizing where she was. One hand an IV the other wrapped in a bandage, she could see that it was bruised up.  
"What's going on?" Jenna asked, trying to push her self up, to get out of bed.  
"Hey, you're in the Hospital, you collapsed outside…." John started to explain  
"I… I need to go." Jenna said, as she started to get up.  
"No, no. You need to stay in bed, and rest, you're very sick." John said softly, gently holding her back, to prevent her from getting up.  
"Very sick? Why what's wrong?" Jenna asked in a panicked voice" How long will I have to be here?"  
"Don't worry, we're still waiting for test results, but you do have a very high fever, it was 108 when we brought you in. You had a seizure earlier because of it. We have brought the fever down slightly, and we have found that you're appendix is inflated. Which means you'll need surgery…."  
"Surgery? What? No, no. I was coming in here because of a fever……thought it be just the flu and I'd just get medicine, and I'd be good to go. No. I…"  
"It's going to be alright, we have some of the best surgeons here." John explained. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about.."  
"You're a psychologist or something aren't you?" Jenna said cutting him off "Look, I know there's stuff on my medical recorded but I have been good did the counseling, still on the meds."  
"Well, no I'm not a psychologist, I do want to talk to you about the suicide attempt, but that can wait. There's something more important I need to tell you first. We found this in you bag when you were brought in" John said, handing Jenna the letter that told her who her brother was.  
"My brother? You mean he works hear? Who is he?" Jenna asked  
John smiled, handing her his security badge. Jenna looked at the picture and name printed across the badge.  
"You're… I found…." Jenna whispered, tears in her eyes.  
"This is a scary, happy and odd time. I am as shocked as you are. I never knew who you were until now. I know you have a lot of questions and I'll answer anything I can. But first, I want to ask you something. I understand you are still living in foster care and you're currently living in a group home. I know we have never really met or know each other, but if you want, you can come and stay with me. You know about the Carter family right?"  
"Yeah, I know about the Carter family, I found out awhile ago…..that's when…..well, that's when I attempted suicide…..But did you mean it? When you said you wanted me to come and stay with you?" Jenna asked.  
"Yeah, I mean I know it is sudden, but you deserve to be with you're family." John exclaimed. "I talked to my, well our parents earlier about why the put you up for adoption."  
"I know. Something about me being premature by a few weeks, and my mother still upset by the loss of her son, I don't know much, but I do know is that she didn't want me."  
John nodded, "No one in the family knew you were alive. We were told you died at birth. Not even Gram, or grandmother. Wish you could have met her. She passed away a year ago. But she was an amazing person. Our other brother died a week before you were born of cancer, and well you know the rest." John said softly. "Any questions about me or the family? I can tell you anything you want. I can also answer any question you have about why your in the hospital, procedures…."  
"Is the appendicitis why I've had a fever for so long?" Jenna asked.  
"Well we think that's part of the reason, but we did blood test and white blood count which are very high, we think there's also the possibility of meningitis, Kerry, Dr. Weaver, is going to do a another test, to see if you have meningitis. Then we can start giving you better medications so you get better." John explained as Kerry walked in.  
"Well, it is good to see you up, how are you feeling?" Kerry asked walking beside Jenna's bed.  
"Well, I've been better, but not as dizzy anymore." Jenna replied  
"That's good, has someone come down for a surgical consult?"  
"Yeah, Dr. Romano was down earlier, we're just waiting for someone to do a spinal tap, hopefully we can rule out meningitis. I have the feeling that's what caused the seizure and fever. Appendicitis just seems to be a coincidence." John replied.  
Kerry nodded, "I agree, positive that she has meningitis, I'm going to do the lumber puncture now. Stay and help keep her calm."  
"Lumber puncture? What does that do?" Jenna asked.  
"Well, it involves a needle, which will draw spinal fluid. And from that we can determine whether or not you have abnormal spinal fluid." John explained.  
"Oh god, how did I get this sick?" Jenna mumbled.  
"You're going to be just fine, we'll be able to treat you and you'll be back to normal in no time. You'll likely have to stay in the hospital for a while, but you're going to be alright." Kerry explained as she pulled up a stool and a small table with a rather large syringe on it. "Alright, Jenna, I need you to lay on your side and face Carter. You're going to feel a small prick in your back. There will be a little bit of discomfort for a moment, but I'll make this as quick as I can." Kerry explained "John, if she starts to jerk, hold her down alright?"  
John nodded, as he held Jenna's hand, her face scrunched in pain as she felt the stab of the needle in her back  
. "Almost done" Carter whispered, stroking hair away from her face.  
"Alright, all over" Kerry said "Doesn't look good" Kerry mumbled. "I'm going to get this to lab, and send Romano in, but I probably have Kovach get some antibiotics started.  
John nodded as he helped Jenna back to laying on her back, He could still feel her iron tight grip. "It will be a little tender in the area were we did the spinal tap"  
Jenna nodded, tears in her eyes. "I want to get out of here." She whispered.  
John smiled faintly back "You're going to out of here soon, don't worry" but thinking to himself, how much he wanted her out of there as well. Even though he'd never meet Jenna before today, he felt some connection to her.  
"Well, it's already dinner time, and someone finally decided to do a spinal tap on our patient. When will this hospital learn that making patients suffer is not the key for adequate care?" Romano remarked in his usual sarcastic tone. "How is our patient doing? Besides experiencing the excruciating pain from that spinal tap?"  
"Gee, you make it sound like it's fun." Kovach remarked walking in with Sam.  
"How you are you doing Jenna?" he asked smiling at her.  
"I'm….well okay I guess. Tired of everyone asking me how I am…." Jenna replied, forcing a smile.  
"Well you'll start to feel a lot better soon. Luka is going to start a new IV and start to give you more medication. Should make you drowsy, but start to get you better." Sam explained checking Jenna's pulse and temp again. "Temp. went up, 105.5"  
"Her temp, went up? Is she going to be alright to be handle surgery?" John asked.  
"Well, it's defiantly going to complicate things, but I don't recommend waiting to much longer." Romano answered as he examined Jenna's lower abdomen, "Any tenderness?"  
Jenna gasped out "Yes!"  
"Alright, Jenna, I'm Dr.Romano, and will be performing an appendectomy on you. It's a very simple procedure and if things go smoothly, which they will, you should be good to go to the road of recovery." He explained. "I just need to get you in to and OR, shouldn't be long, believe one will be open in an hour. Don't worry about a thing, you'll have two of the best surgeons working on you, myself and my good friend Lizzie. Romano said as he whirled around walking out of the exam room.  
"Gee, did someone put Prozac in his coffee or what? He seems to be in a good mood, for once." Sam muttered to Luka.  
"Heard that Sam" Romano shouted, without turning around.  
Luka rolled his eyes "I'll be back to check on her, before she goes up to the OR" Luka stated as he left, Sam following him.  
"You alright?" Carter asked Jenna, noticing she was starting to shake.  
"Nervous, a little. Kinda cold too" She replied.  
Carter nodded "I'll be right back" He said getting up, going to get another blanket. "This should help a bit. Don't be nervous about you're surgery. Dr. Romano may not have the best people skills, but he is one of the best surgeons in the hospital."  
"One of the best? I am the best!" Romano announced as he walked back into the room. Dr. Corday quickly followed behind him. "An OR just opened up, assuming that you want to get this surgery over with, we're going to take you up now."  
Jenna nodded, as Corday, Romano and Carter pushed her bed towards an elevator."I'm not going to be able to go with you for the surgery because, I start…started five minutes ago" Carter whispered, at the elevator, but I'll come check up on you when you get out. Find me when she gets out of the OR."  
Jenna nodded, as she was pushed into the elevator, watching Carter disappear behind the doors.

It was hours later, Carter waiting impatiently. Jenna's surgery should have been done by now.  
"Carter!" Luka yelled. "Patient for you in exam one."  
John looked up. "Sorry, didn't hear you. I've been worried about Jenna."  
"She's out of surgery isn't she?" Luka asked.  
"No, well I don't know, she went up two hours ago…." Carter replied.  
"Go. Take the night off. No use compromising patients care down here because you worried about you sister."  
"Are you sure?" Carter asked.  
"Yes go. I'll cover for you, this is suppose to Pratt's shift anyways." Luka exclaimed as John ran up the stairs to the surgical floor. Out of breathe he reached the floor, just in time to see Dr. Romano emerge out of the OR, with a upset look on his face.  
"Carter? Glad you're here, I need to talk to you." Romano announced, motioning for Carter to come with him. "Your sister's surgery didn't go well, her appendix was removed successfully, but she didn't handle the surgery well. She had two seizures during the surgery, her heart rate dropped drastically causing cardiac arrest and her fever went up again. She is still intibated and will be spending the night in the ICU. Carter your sister has slipped into a coma.  
"What? This was supposed to be a simple procedure! She was stable, breathing when she went up! What the hell happened?" Carter yelled angrily.  
"Carter, I know. He fever went up, that's likely what caused the seizures, and you know some people don't handle surgery well. She's lucky; we were close to losing her." Romano explained.  
"DAMMIT!" Carter yelled, slamming his fist against the wall.


	4. Chapter 4

Dr. Romano looked at Carter, but said nothing as he motioned him to follow him down the hall. Carter followed, quickly realizing that he was being lead to the ICU. John looked through the large glass window, watching as his sister was wheeled in. He's seen hundreds of patients in Jenna's condition, others even worse. But seeing his sister, hooked up to a ventilator, IV's and looking completely helpless caused tears into his eyes. He sunk down to the ground, with his back to the wall.

"What am I going to do?" He asked, resting his head in his hands

"Stay with her, she'll pull through knowing she has her brother near, but I got to go got to remove someone's spleen." Roman said, leaving John, still leaning against the wall. He sat there for a few minutes, and the got up, and walked in to the nurse's station, picking up the phone.

John waited nervously in the waiting room, when his parents finally came walking in.

"John? What's going on? Why did you ask us to come here? I have meetings and work to take care of!" His dad asked, half concerned and angry.

"Follow me!" John said walking his parents towards the ICU. "There, look, the girl on the left, about seventeen." John said, trying not to choke up.

"John, I know how patients get to you at times, but was it really necessary…" His mother trialed off.

"She's your daughter!" John replied, quietly.

"My Daughter?" His mother asked.

"John, we gave up the right when we put her up for adoption, she's not apart of our family, and doesn't concern us." John's father replied.

"Doesn't concern you? She's your daughter! She has no one and has been spending years trying to find her family. Are you going to stand here and tell you don't care at all about her struggling for her life? You're going to tell me you're going to desert her again, when she needs you the most?" John asked, raising his voice, cracking with anger. He could feel tears, stinging in his eyes.

"She's not our daughter any more, it does not concern us, now, if you excuse me, your father and I have work to do." Hid mother exclaimed, glaring at John before leaving.

"Don't bug us again about his, son." His father said, following his mother.

"You are both heartless monsters" John yelled. "And to let you know, when she gets better, she's living with me, in Gram's old house. I'll ensure she gets every penny she deserves."

"John What on earth are you shouting about?" Corday demanded.

"Sorry" John sighed. "I just don't understand how they don't even care? She's their daughter, she….how can anyone ever, how can they look and see there daughter struggling for her life and not care?"

"I don't know John. I'd die if anything happened to my daughter. I almost died when I lost Mark. She's lucky she has you though. You seem to already have that brother sister connection, even though you just met."

John nodded. "Yeah. Well, I always though she died at birth. It's still shocking."

"Go in, stay with her. She hasn't changed since she's come out from the OR. But having you there might help" Elizabeth said. "She's lucky most people don't get big brothers like you."

John nodded, as he walked into the ICU, pulling a chair beside Jenna's bed.


End file.
